Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1887-08-06
WARM WAVES.
They are Really mot Waves 1t aIl-The
Result Of q Succession OF sAL0yvs.o

To the Editor Of The EVENING STAR:
Modern meteorology has given rise to number
OF new terms The words are old, but they are
used in a new sense, as for example, .'high"
slow" '1ocals," warm" and .'cold waves"
The 'cold wave" Is, more strictly speaking q
''wave" than a "warm wave." The ''cold wave" is
the result Of condition OF atmosphere passing
over US like great wave, from the west toward
the east. The swarm wave" Ia the effect produced
by the condition 'ow" moving far to the north OF
us, say on line Of SO degrees or 90 degrees north
latitude. The GLOW" itself is not "warm wave
as in the case OF the 'high" a cold wave, but the
condition which causes the warm wave to the
south OF the center
When 'high" is passing it cools the atmosphere
In proportion to Its extent and intensity and one
another ''h1gh" will be a slow" or lower condi-
ton, which will change the clear, COOL bracing at
mosphere SO peculiar 70 this barometnc pressure.
One extensive and intense .'high" produces very
positive change, but one slow" passing on north
line will not be the cause OF SUFFICIENT heat TO be
termed warm wave" The atmosphere, cooled
by a snigh," or north winds resulting from south
SLOW" Will not De heated to its maximum temper
allure by one north slow" but let the north slows"
the territory to the south OF the center will be-
come more and more heated t1llit becomes intense
the Thermometer ranging from 80 degrees to 100
degrees. or even more, from the cotton states to
Canada.
Between the slows" as between the shighs" the
OppooICS CouuACiOu kiu case Inc nigh Will
prevail to some extent, but the degree viii be so
moderate In such cases that it will not have much
effect to cool before the next slow" following ad-
vances eastward on the same high line or latitude
1t frequently happens that 1t Is much pleasanter
and cooler In the summer in the cotton States than
in New England and Canada Such Will be the
case when "highs" repeatedly move along the
southern borders and the slows" move on north
line. the south 'highs" keep the Southern States
cool, while the southern winds, coming over q wide
eXpanSe OF country, whereby they become heated
like passing over heated plates, causes the North.
ern States 10 be very warm. The more protracted
such condition the greater the heat or the north
country.
II the south 'shigh" is of maximum intensity,
say 80 and five or Nx-tenths then the south winds
will be delightful and well worthy OF the Indians
appellation, the ''sweet southwest" But II, a.
this year, the "high" is no more than 30 or 20
and nine-tenths inches, and the gradients are far
apart, showing very negative condition OF both
the 'high" and the '.lOw, " and the slow" centers
one after another, follow on a high line OF latl-
tude, we have warm wave that Is like the con-
tinued heat OF furnace without even the virtue
OF the drying properties OF the furnace. We have
q warm, humid atmosphere which strongly re-
sembles the 'tsweat-box"-a ''sweat-box" on a
large scale. And this Is what we have had SO
much OF this summer; high Thermometer with
low barometer, the meaneSt condition OF atmos-
phere that can be conceived OF, and one that is
most trying to man and beast LP.N.
WASHINGTON, ID. c., August 4, 49,